Reliving Hobbesian realities in Nigeria

Thomas Hobbes, an English philosopher wrote more than 400 years ago in England at the time of Civil wars, and he wrote on the state of nature. That’s man living in basic realities without laws and order. From his book, the Leviathan, the popular phrase, that life in the state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short arose. And it has become a corollary to define states where humans live lawless lives, while orderliness and security do not exist. Man lives in a state of anomie, death, killing, and insecurity become the order of the day.

Unlike Hobbes who advocated that societies should embrace either a king or the parliament for protection, security and well-being, Nigeria’s descent to the hobbesian state is not as a result of civil wars, though some can argue that we’re buffetted by structural violence, since we cannot stop or control the haemorrhage bleeding away lives and resources in the view of a political leadership, government and military structure with the goal of protecting humans and animals in the sovereign nation.

For people living outside of the country, it would be unbelievable and a nightmare to hear or read about a country where the citizens are kidnapped and kpaied at will by non-state actors and groups designated as terrorist groups, because such groups are not handled with kid gloves but rather brought down with the might of the law and strength of the military. Yet, in Nigeria they continue to thrive and grow from strength to strength in different corners of the nation. From the Northeast where a war of attrition is waged against the Nigerian state by Boko Haram to the Northwest where terror groups like Lakurawa have held Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Kaduna to the Northcentral.

In Kwara, Kogi and other Middlebelt states, new forms have emerged, like Mahmuda which has spiked and has taken over territories. The story is no better in the Southwest, Southeast and South South regions. Non-state actors are having field days pillaging villages and communities. Life indeed has become poor, nasty, brutish and short. And unlike Hobbes who saw political leadership as the ultimate panacea, our leaders including the parliament seem helpless to find lasting solution to the blood letting and orgies desecrating the land. The nation has become a dystopian nightmare to which the people wake up to and eke out their living in the face of such terrors.

Recently in Yelwata, Benue state, more than 200 persons (mostly women and children) were kpaied and about 3000 people displaced. And in Bornu state more than 63 people were murdered. This same is true of Katsina and Sokoto states. No place is safe. Yet, everyone goes about like it is normal. People have become inured with the incessant killings, abduction, raping and pillaging. At Mokwa, Niger state, a deadly flooding claimed an alleged 500 lives, while about 600 were declared missing with more than 4, 000 homes destroyed, yet, only bags of rice were donated with promises to rehabilitate the affected people by the Vice President, Kasim Shettima.

Fallouts of these grim scenes are disastrous not only for the image of the nation but also the corporate existence of the nation itself. A country that cannot effectively defend its citizens is seen in the mould of a failed nation. This assumption has dire consequences, economically, financially and in other variables used to measure the wellbeing of that nation. Other countries would be reluctant to do business with such a nation, and those attracted to her would not have long term plans or options in their relationship with such a nation.

And as these are happening, the Chief Executive of the Country went on a working leave. That created a jarring impact on anyone who is hopeful that something is being done to ameliorate or reassure the people. Which brought with it some mirth, as Nigerians quickly dubbed the state governors and senior government officials who escorted him as statues. Trust the cruel malevolence of the average Nigerian netizen, they showed the five cast in golden colours with their arms raised as they waved at a moving airplane!

Nigeria, we hail thee!!!

Godswill Okiyi, PhD
Writes from Abuja, Nigeria